Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-20
THURSDAY, OCTOBER go, 1881
(ser0MinlO.

Geronimo.
The action of the Grand Jury al
Tucson, Arizona, in finding an indict-
ment for murder against Geronimo,
the famous Apache warrior, VINO Is
now languishing in a tropical prison,
was quite ably reviewed by the San
Francisco EraDainer the other day,
and Justly and wisely condemned.
There is no doubt but that the civil
authorities have absolute and legal
Jurisdiction over all persons within
the limits of the State or Territory
whether they be white, black or cop
per-colored: but when an insurrectlon
against the lawful civil authority as
sumes such proportions that the civil
authority is unable to cope with or
control it, and the military arm OF the
Federal Government is brought into
use, then the condition becomes one
of intestine war. Thus it has been
with the Indians in this country tor
over one hundred years. Indians,
however, are not only not citizens,
but they are deprived of the privileges
of citizenship by the Federal Constl-
tuition. Their status is peculiar; fer,
being regarded as the wards OF the
nation, they occupy distinctive posi-
tion different from that OF any citizen
or other subject. The Federal Gov
ernment has always treated with In
dams as separate nations-has, indeed,
enacted separate laws for their gov
ernment, has appointed commissioners
and agents for them, and whenever
they have resorted to the violence OF
Indian wars, has arrayed against
them the military power, fighting
them as a nation or tribe, killing any
or all Of their people, and destroying
their property. This has been the
history of all Indian tribes from the
foundation OF the goveYment downto
present time, and at the close OF the
Indian wars the malefactory, or bel
ligerent. element, being subjusated,
have always been subject to the abso-
lutte disposition of the Federal Gov
ernmenkai In very few in
stances 81 executions of individ-
ual Indians have followed In
dian wars; for example, after the
Minnesota massacre thirty Sioux In
dams were exc xecuted; but even that
had no effect upon the others, for a
few years later the whole fighting
force of the Sioux nation was again on
the warpath. The execution OF the
Modocs for violation of the sanctity OF
the flag of truce did not deter their
neighbors from going on the war-path,
nor did the execution Of Apache In
dams at Fort Grant, Arizona, have
any effect upon their tribe that ever
afterwards resumed hostilities.
Now, with respect to the indictment
of Geronimo, by the grand jury at
Tucson last week, questions OF Sc
rious importance will arise. In
March, 1886, while what was known
as Geronimo's band-Natches, how
ever, being the hereditary chief-were
on the warpath, terms were made with
those Indians which, however, were
disapproved at Washington, and by
order OF the President the Department
Commander was directed again to
open negotiations with them
on the basis of unconditional sur
render, "vnly sparing their lives. I"
Instead OF carrying out those instruc-
tions the Commanding General asked
to be relieved from the COM
mand and was relieved, and
the present Commander assigned to
the Department in his place.
That was the state OF affairs when
the operations against the Apache'
were resumed in April, 1886, and NJ
modification was ever made OF thos'
instructions. During the campaign
the Indians we're offered terms by tn
Mexican authorities, but they woul
not trust the Mexicans; and finally
when harassed, hemmed in and wor
down by tn troops, the Indians, wit
Chiefs Matches and Geronimo at thei
head, SURRENDERED to the Amer
can troops, asking only the on
mercv that their lives be spared
They surrendered with the expecta
tion that their prayer would D.
granted.
On the principle that that war, lik'
all Indian wars, was conducted agalns
the Apaches as hostile tribe, the In
dams we're banislied as body to the
remote southeast corner of the United